Gunny
Gold Member
- Thread starter
- #81
As a Dove, I THINK these basic principles should be followed before going to war:
Principles of the Just War
A just war can only be waged as a last resort. All non-violent options must be exhausted before the use of force can be justified.
A war is just only if it is waged by a legitimate authority. Even just causes cannot be served by actions taken by individuals or groups who do not constitute an authority sanctioned by whatever the society and outsiders to the society deem legitimate.
A just war can only be fought to redress a wrong suffered. For example, self-defense against an armed attack is always considered to be a just cause (although the justice of the cause is not sufficient--see point #4). Further, a just war can only be fought with "right" intentions: the only permissible objective of a just war is to redress the injury.
A war can only be just if it is fought with a reasonable chance of success. Deaths and injury incurred in a hopeless cause are not morally justifiable.
The ultimate goal of a just war is to re-establish peace. More specifically, the peace established after the war must be preferable to the peace that would have prevailed if the war had not been fought.
The violence used in the war must be proportional to the injury suffered. States are prohibited from
using force not necessary to attain the limited objective of addressing the injury suffered.
The weapons used in war must discriminate between combatants and non-combatants. Civilians are never permissible targets of war, and every effort must be taken to avoid killing civilians. The deaths of civilians are justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target.
also, this should be taken to heart by our leaders as well imo...
Proverbs 24:6
For by wise guidance you will wage war....
and then the simple term of war preparation:
Know your enemy before you wage war with them... was not followed in my opinion....nothing was thought through or with wise advise it seems...
So, bottom line, and as mentioned, a devout Dove, the deaths from the Iraqi war does rest on President Bush's shoulders, the buck does stop with him as our Leader and Commander in chief....and the Advisors he picked to advise him.
There still may be a legitimate argument that all the deaths that occurred in the Iraq war can be justified because of yah dee dah reasons to some, but ultimately, those deaths did occur because our leader, with poor advice in my opinion, is the one who chose this war...(and asked Congress to support whatever his decision was regarding going to war) thus responsible for the deaths that occurred, whether justified war deaths or not justified war deaths.
PS
I am hopeless on this topic, there is no "changing me" on my opinion on this so those of you that supported the war, should just not bother!
care
A "just war" is a matter of perspective. Depends on whose side you're on. Too many people in this country take the side of a piece of human garbage for no reason more than support their partisan political hatreds. The facts be damned.